CONSUMER REPORT

[SPYD3R]

CONSUMER REPORT, May 2015 issue has rated 10 motorcycles: BMW, CAN AM, DUCATI, HARLEY, HONDA, KAWASAKI, SUZUKI, TRIUMPH, VICTORY & YAMAHA...
YAMAHA came in 1st for "how ofter they go to the repair shop" yet it was 6th on "would owners buy it again"... our SPYD3R came in dead last on "repair shop" yet it came in 5th on "would you buy again".... pretty good article... Victory won the top spot on "buy again"... HD came in 2nd place... what really surprised me was that BMW came in 9th place, 1 ahead of CAN AM, on "repair shop" visits.... and here i always thought that BMW was the primo bike on the road... Honda came in 3rd on both counts...
Dan P
Easley, SC
SPYD3R F3-S

[ARtraveler]

Good information. Thanks.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Online copy isn't posted yet.

[Bob Denman]

What conclusions did they draw from their research?
Thanks!

[SPYD3R]

What conclusions did they draw from their research?
Thanks!

Quote: "We realize that buying a motorcycle is often more about passion than practicality; even so, out findings can help you make an informed purchase decision."

datz what dey said Bobby...
dp

[Bob Denman]

[Deanna777]

Thanks for the info. Deanna

[Chupaca]

always take it with a grain of salt. Depends on where they collect the data from. But you need a starting point. Thanks for info..

[900Dave]

The BMW's do not suprise me at all. German made cars (although they may be some of the most luxurious and best handling and a really good ride) They are not anything close to reliable. Dont go too far from the repair shop. So why would there bikes be any different. American made cars as well as Japanese and Korean made vehicles are far more reliable than anything from Germany.

[ABQSpyder]

The BMW's do not suprise me at all. German made cars (although they may be some of the most luxurious and best handling and a really good ride) They are not anything close to reliable. Dont go too far from the repair shop. So why would there bikes be any different. American made cars as well as Japanese and Korean made vehicles are far more reliable than anything from Germany.

I had a BMW 1999 R1100RT when I sold it with 98,000 miles I hated to see it go. I would get on that bike today if I still had it and ride it any where anytime. I'm sure the maintenance schedule on my BMW was a lot less money than my Spyder. The kicker though I'd trust my BMW mechanic over any Spyder mechanic I've ever meet!
Just sayin.
Don't remember BMW bikes catching on Fire! Yikes.
There last recall they were willing to replace the Bike.
Guess I was so stupid for riding such an inferior product.

Like every thing else there are Good and Bad.

Again Just sayin

[SpyderAnn01]

I think that the BMW issue is that they don't have a lot of dealers so you may get stuck if you are on the road. They don't stock parts and their repairs can be expensive, kind of sounds like our Spyders.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Just my .02 on this one. I really trust Consumer Reports , they don't take Ads so they don't have any Ass*s to kiss......But on the Repair / Service thing....well the Spyder demographics lean toward affluent , older, non-mechanically inclined, lets pay someone else - even if it's a total rip-off sort of group....( no offense intended )........plus I'd venture that most of their numbers were derived from the 998 engine / trans /clutch spyders ......I think this will change dramatically with 1330 Ace engine numbers.................................JMHO...... .Mike

[daveinva]

Just my .02 on this one. I really trust Consumer Reports , they don't take Ads so they don't have any Ass*s to kiss......But on the Repair / Service thing....well the Spyder demographics lean toward affluent , older, non-mechanically inclined, lets pay someone else - even if it's a total rip-off sort of group....( no offense intended )........plus I'd venture that most of their numbers were derived from the 998 engine / trans /clutch spyders ......I think this will change dramatically with 1330 Ace engine numbers.................................JMHO...... .Mike

To be technical about it, the 998 is a *rock*, as dead-reliable a bike engine that's ever been manufactured-- it's the other quirks with first-gen Spyders that come into play.

I'm curious about the survey dates; knowing the likely lag time, I wonder if CR caught a whole slew of seriously peeved 2013 owners up in their reliability survey.

BTW, RE: BMW bikes... they're like BMW (and other German) cars: outstanding mechanical marvels that are the equal of or superior to anything else on the road... when they work. Thing is, the Germans love to build to tolerances and precision that no other manufacturers seem to do, which makes for a fine product, but expensive routine service and even more expensive, sometimes nightmarish, repairs. I *still* have nightmares knowing I needed special tools to swap out Volkswagen batteries and headlight bulbs.

Still, I'd buy a BMW bike tomorrow, no anxiety whatsoever. Heck, I bought a Can-Am Spyder, what could I possibly be worried about?

[ABQSpyder]

I was lucky to have what I think was one of the best BMW dealers in the country.
Cost well they charged $90.00 a hour.
If bike went in for repair they gave you a loaner. Yes a loaner.
If knees weren't a problem I'd still be riding my BMW.

[bikeguy]

I have ridden BMW's since 1974 and still have one to go with my 2010 RT. If you do all the recommended maintenance on BMW's, I think they are as rock solid and reliable as anything on the road. But, like Can-Am, BMW recommends a lot of maintenance and some of it requires considerable mechanical ability to perform. For example, on the boxer twins with a dry clutch, the clutch splines must be lubricated at regular intervals and it is a major job, requiring the transmission to be removed or at least backed away from the engine. Most owners, even those with pretty good mechanical skills, will take it to a shop for that maintenance. Also, where a Spyder only requires changing engine/transmission oil, a BMW boxer twin requires changing engine oil, transmission fluid, drive shaft fluid, and rear gear fluid. So, it's easy to see that owners, unless they are very skilled mechanically, will go to the dealer a lot for maintenance. Personally, I never had one of my BMW's in the shop for either repairs or maintenance but they were all bought used, out of warranty, so I felt safe enough in doing my own maintenance and repair. As far as repairs, the alternator rotor went open on my 1973 R75/5 and I was able to fix it myself. It would probably have stranded me on a cold morning south of Marathon, Texas when it wouldn't start with either the electric start or the kick starter ( it had both ) if I hadn't been on top of the highest point in the country and was able to bump start it after coasting up to about 30 MPH. None of my other BMW's ever had any issues. The only other motorcycle I'd put in the same category with BMW's for reliability would be Honda Goldwings. They are bullet proof.


Personally, I don't care much for Consumer Reports, although I believe you can get some good information from their reports at times. It just seems to me that their criteria for cars and motorcycles are very different from mine.


Cotton

[Rockwall]

They must be factoring in the 2013 Spyders. (I really feel bad for everybody who has had problems. I almost bought one myself.)

[900Dave]

I had a BMW 1999 R1100RT when I sold it with 98,000 miles I hated to see it go. I would get on that bike today if I still had it and ride it any where anytime. I'm sure the maintenance schedule on my BMW was a lot less money than my Spyder. The kicker though I'd trust my BMW mechanic over any Spyder mechanic I've ever meet!
Just sayin.
Don't remember BMW bikes catching on Fire! Yikes.
There last recall they were willing to replace the Bike.
Guess I was so stupid for riding such an inferior product.

Like every thing else there are Good and Bad.

Again Just sayin

I am not insinuating that your BMW bike or anyone elses has been unreliable. Sorry if it came out that way.

In my opinion German vehicles are very well engineered but may not in fact be the most dependable. Therefore I choose not to buy them. This is only my opinion.

[dlby]

So many rides---
So little time-'-'
I would love to love all of them
Have loved quite a few

Got the 14 rtse6 out there talking to me now
Oh yeah try to love em all in their own way

[jaherbst]

I am not insinuating that your BMW bike or anyone elses has been unreliable. Sorry if it came out that way. I read a lot of article on cars and there dependability ect. ect. The German vehicles are not near the top in those categories and could only assume the same for there bikes. That being said I never owned a German vehicle and never will. I work for a German owned company enough said!

AAW--he just doesn't like Sour Kraut. A broad statement for someone who never owned a German vehicle. I have had dozens of Porsches, BMW's, Mercedes, Volkswagens cars and never had problem number one. I have had a half dozen BMW motorcycles and still own a 650GS and a R1200RT never a problem. If your too cheap to keep up the maintenance schedule you probably should not own one. There is nothing like German engineering. We would still be walking around the planet and not on the Moon had it not been for German engineering. Alright, Alright I'll stop!

Jack

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

To be technical about it, the 998 is a *rock*, as dead-reliable a bike engine that's ever been manufactured-- it's the other quirks with first-gen Spyders that come into play.

I'm curious about the survey dates; knowing the likely lag time, I wonder if CR caught a whole slew of seriously peeved 2013 owners up in their reliability survey.

BTW, RE: BMW bikes... they're like BMW (and other German) cars: outstanding mechanical marvels that are the equal of or superior to anything else on the road... when they work. Thing is, the Germans love to build to tolerances and precision that no other manufacturers seem to do, which makes for a fine product, but expensive routine service and even more expensive, sometimes nightmarish, repairs. I *still* have nightmares knowing I needed special tools to swap out Volkswagen batteries and headlight bulbs.

Still, I'd buy a BMW bike tomorrow, no anxiety whatsoever. Heck, I bought a Can-Am Spyder, what could I possibly be worried about?

....Dave the 998 may be a " ROCK ", but if you compare the 998 to 1330 maintenance / service schedule and associated dealer charges ( and I'm sure Consumer Reports DID ) ....the 1330 is a bargain..............just sayin........Mike

[900Dave]

AAW--he just doesn't like Sour Kraut. A broad statement for someone who never owned a German vehicle. I have had dozens of Porsches, BMW's, Mercedes, Volkswagens cars and never had problem number one. I have had a half dozen BMW motorcycles and still own a 650GS and a R1200RT never a problem. If your too cheap to keep up the maintenance schedule you probably should not own one. There is nothing like German engineering. We would still be walking around the planet and not on the Moon had it not been for German engineering. Alright, Alright I'll stop!

Jack

I love Sour Kraut

[pauly1]

The Rotax motors are Austrian. That's pretty close to Germany.

Wayne

[Lou]

I have the report in PDF format but can't seem to be able to attach file here....any suggestions or can I e-mail it to someone to post?

[jcthorne]

....Dave the 998 may be a " ROCK ", but if you compare the 998 to 1330 maintenance / service schedule and associated dealer charges ( and I'm sure Consumer Reports DID ) ....the 1330 is a bargain..............just sayin........Mike

The only real world difference is the valve lash check / adjustment recommended for the 998 at 14k that is normally not even needed. They dropped the recommendation for the 1330. Otherwise, for 99.9% of owners, the maintenance schedule is still annual.

[Dan_Ashley]

My 2012 RT with 17,000 miles has been as reliable as any car I've owned.